Removable gates, particularly child and pet safety gates, are well known in the art for use in preventing access to residential areas considered unsafe or undesirable for children or pets. Conventional gates characteristically comprise a plurality of cooperating gate sections that are generally horizontally extensible and retractable within narrow entryways such as between doorjambs, opposed walls, and balustrade uprights, and the like. These safety gates are commonly provided on ends thereof with compressible buffer stops comprising elastomeric material or other suitable spring mechanisms, which when compressed and then released, function to effectively set the corresponding gate or gate sections against displacement between the respective opposed fixed extremes defined by the entryways. Additional safety laches and the like have been used to further secure the relative positions of the corresponding gate sections and prevent inadvertent or undesired disengagement of the same following installation.
To remove the aforementioned safety gates after installation, the safety laches, if any, must first be disabled or released whereupon the buffer stops may be compressed (generally by applying lateral pressure to the same) to temporarily relieve applied tension on the opposed fixed extremes of the corresponding entryways. The gate sections may then be sufficiently retracted for the gate or gate system to be removed. Removable child and pet safety gates of the type described above are commonly used in residential environments to prevent access to kitchens, stairways, garages, and other living and working areas.
Removable gates have similarly been used in retail and warehouse environments to temporarily prevent access to designated service and work areas including shopping aisles, check-out aisles and the like, as may be defined, for example, by shelving and storage racks such as pallet rack systems and assemblies. As those skilled in the art will recognize, conventional pallet rack systems typically comprise a plurality of support posts for receiving corresponding horizontal connecting lengths and vertically spaced horizontal rack beams. Each support post generally comprises a single piece of metal having an outwardly faced or facing post section or margin, parallel side post sections or margins, and an opposed terminal end section or margin defining a substantially square or rectangular post cross section. The outwardly facing post sections and parallel post sections are each typically provided with multiple rows of vertically spaced pairs of keyhole slots or other suitable stamped apertures. The slots in each pair are often angularly related to one another to allow a better fit for components being attached to the pallet rack, including the above referenced rack beams.
In the conventional pallet rack systems described above, the support posts are secured together in any suitable relation by the referenced horizontal connecting lengths as well as a series of corresponding truss legs or the like. Characteristically, the connecting lengths are affixed to opposing terminal post end sections and/or parallel side post sections by threading and securing one or more fasteners through corresponding apertures such as the referenced keyhole slots. A plurality of vertically spaced horizontal rack beams are affixed to opposing parallel side post sections (and often the corresponding outwardly faced post sections as well) by similarly threading and securing one or more fasteners through the corresponding post section apertures. Each horizontal rack beam is typically comprised of sheet metal having a ledge for receiving and supporting a wooden plank or other suitable shelving material such as sheet metal decking or the like, which in turn receives and supports product for storage and display.
In these retail and warehouse applications, the entryways and “aisles” defined by opposing post end sections of corresponding storage racks are typically substantially wider than residential entryways, and thus generally unsuitable for residential type compression gates of the type described above. Accordion or “scissor-style” gates have therefore been employed which are capable of spanning these extended distances.
As those skilled in the art will recognize, accordion gates typically comprise a plurality of interconnected and moveable accordion elements or members that cooperate together to permit the respective gates to be unitarily extensible and retractable, as limited by the number and length of the corresponding elements. Accordion gates are typically mounted and substantially permanently affixed in the aforementioned entryways at their trailing gate ends to receiving outwardly facing post sections by threading one or more bolts through corresponding receiving keyholes or apertures stamped in the respective components. When not required for use, the gates are secured to the receiving posts in substantially retracted storage positions, limited by the number and width of extensible accordion elements, using chains, flexible cord, or other suitable retention devices. When it is subsequently desirable to block and inhibit access to a corresponding entryway and/or aisle section, the retention device is removed or disabled, whereupon the gate may be extended and secured at its leading end to a corresponding opposing and receiving outwardly facing post section in the same or similar manner using one or more bolts threaded through receiving keyholes or apertures.
The aforementioned accordion gates, while effective and commonly used, by design comprise multiple movable accordion elements that increase the size, weight, and complexity of the corresponding gates, which in turn, correspondingly increases the associated costs of manufacture, shipping, maintenance and repair of the same. Those skilled in the art will further recognize that the above referenced installation common to such accordion gates, namely securing the same at trailing edges in retracted storage positions with chains and flexible cord, may result in decreased visibility of products or signage stored or displayed in proximity to the gate, particularly at or near end caps or shelving units. Still further, such accordion gates may extend or otherwise protrude, even in retracted, stored and secured positions, undesirable distances into corresponding entryways or aisles creating potential obstructions for shopping carts and machinery that may result in damage to the respective gates. Lastly, such gates, by design, are generally unsuitable for pre-printed signage, such as may be useful for example, to notify persons of the presence of the gate (whether in the extended or storage position) or advise that the corresponding aisle or area has been temporarily closed. Accordingly, retail and warehouse managers may be required to incur additional time and expense to obtain, post, and change such signage on or in proximity to such gates.
To address the above issues, there have been disclosed a variety of extensible, collapsible and retractable gates provided for use in retail and warehouse environments as well as residential applications. See, for example, Canadian Patent No. CA2233760 issued to Secure-Plast, Inc.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,829 issued to Duncan et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,679 issued to Miller et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,056,038 issued to Foster et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,250 issued to Pichik et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,435 issued to Tracy A. Kotzen; U.S. Pat. No. 6,688,480 issued to David S. Denny; U.S. Pat. No. 6,807,999 issued to Bowen et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 7,207,370 issued to Snyder et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 7,219,709 issued to John Williams; U.S. Pat. No. 7,237,591 issued to Snyder et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 7,337,822 issued to Snyder et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 7,384,017 issued to Burke et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 8,087,443 issued to Snyder et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 8,490,668 issued to Snyder et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 8,991,470 issued to Steven A. Pacheco; U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015190001 filed by Floersch et al.; U.S. Patent Publication No. 20050098770 filed by Ronald Allan Schell; U.S. Patent Publication No. 20050211389 filed by Snyder et al et al.; U.S. Patent Publication No. 20060076544 filed by William M. Kurple; U.S. Patent Publication No. 20060113519 filed by Ian James Prismall; U.S. Patent Publication No. 20060151123 filed by Chandler et al.; U.S. Patent Publication No. 20060191644 filed by Snyder et al.; U.S. Patent Publication No. 20060213626 filed by Snyder et al.; U.S. Patent Publication No. 20090008042 filed by Snyder et al.; and International Patent Application WO9713049 filed by Edwin Hardy.
The aforementioned extensible gates and gate systems address some of the issues raised above. However, they still generally require fixed storage positions and may therefore extend or protrude into corresponding entryways and aisles during such storage thus creating potential obstructions to shopping carts and machinery and reducing customer or employee visibility of displayed product and signage. Many such gate systems also require self-standing implementations wherein internal support posts are provided as part of the gate system thus raising concerns that the system may be removed or otherwise become inadvertently uninstalled.
Still further, as those skilled in the art will appreciate, in conventional pallet rack systems and assemblies of the type described above, shelving units, and more particularly, horizontal rack beams and corresponding fasteners, affixed to opposing outwardly facing post sections, may occupy all or part of an aperture row pair designated for affixing the respective trailing and leading gate ends. In such case, the gate ends will be required to be affixed to different aperture rows (above or below the occupied rows) possibly requiring gate placement at different heights at the respective leading and trailing gate ends and resulting in misalignment of the gate once extended. Still further, horizontal rack beams and the corresponding connecting bolts disposed in intervening aperture rows (within the span of respective top and bottom gate ends) as well as product stored on the received shelves, often extend or protrude from the receiving posts beyond the outwardly facing post sections into the defined entryways and aisles to obstruct and sometimes preclude attachment of the respective gate ends entirely. In such case, the referenced extensible gates and gate systems may not be used.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved barrier system that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art. Such a system should be aesthetically pleasing and capable of implementation in retail and warehouse environments and the like, including private and public shopping, storage, service, and checkout areas and aisles, whether indoors or outdoors. Such a system should further be capable of implementation with conventional storage systems such as pallet rack systems and assemblies and/or brackets or the like, including implementation with proper alignment when one or more designated receiving post apertures or aperture rows are unavailable or occupied such as by horizontal rack beams or bolts. Still further, the system should be capable of implementation when stored product or one or more horizontal rack beams and/or corresponding connecting fasteners disposed in intervening aperture rows within the span of respective top and bottom gate ends (leading and/or trailing) extend or protrude from the receiving posts beyond the outwardly facing post sections into the defined entryways. Yet still further, such a system should be amenable to pre-printed signage and be quickly and easily installed and removed and engaged and disengaged to safely and effectively block and inhibit access to the above designated areas without reducing or obstructing product visibility or causing obstructions to shopping carts or other machinery, users or personnel during use or storage.